Solutions that don’t break the bank, reinvent the wheel or marginalize our teachers are within our grasp. We could have rigorous classes, safe and disciplined schools and treat teachers like valued colleagues rather than easily replaceable cogs, and we could do so tomorrow if we wanted. Disclaimer, this is an opinion and commentary site and should not be confused as a news site. Also know that quite often people may disagree with the opinions posted.

Total Pageviews

Search This Blog

Friday, June 19, 2015

Resignations up 40 percent under Brennan at First Coast (rough draft)

First I want to thank the super and district for sending me the chart below. I know it can't always be easy for them to deal with me as I can be critical, something that the Times Union never seems to do. That being said, I have commented numerous times about what I called incredible teacher attrition at First Coast under Brennan and if I have something wrong I think it's important that I own it and inform people as best as I can.

Year

# of resignations

2010-11

13

2011-12

12

2012-13

18

2013-14

22

2014-15

20

There are a lot of ways you can look at above. First one could argue that in 10-11 and 11-12 the economy was still in the tank and people were unlikely to leave. I think that's a problem too as more as more teachers with options are leaving. We are on the cusp of a massive teacher shortage unless we change the way we do things and not just at FC.

Then there is just looking at the raw numbers which say that during the two years before Brennan 30 teachers total resigned and since he has been there that number jumped 40 percent to 42. It's hard to get around that. If a school improved 40 percent I don't think the district would complain about it.

Above however just gives us a snapshot but it doesn't tell the entire story and that's why I have also asked the district to give me the enrollment at FC as well as the number of transfers and retirements over the last five years too. I suspect like resignations those numbers will be bigger under Brennan as well but right now I can't say definitively.

However regardless of what the numbers ultimately show us about teacher attrition at FC perhaps the most important number is 250 as in the 250 communitymembers and parents who showed up this past Tuesday to a meeting and who almost universally wanted Brennan to go.

3 comments:

The TU is so friendly to Vitti that the story about that FCHS meeting is no longer there. If you click on the news tab and scroll down and select "schools," you will only find Vitti-good, students-good, teachers-bad stories. To find the FCHS community meeting story, I guess you have to search it.

Interesting that 250 showed up to the meeting about lack of discipline, increased violence and ineffective leadership. At other community meetings, the turn-out is embarrassingly poor. Discipline is the issue that the community cares about. I'll be very interested to see if the SB is listening.